How to sock it to yourself

Because I have somehow (sadly) become one of those people who gets his news through Twitter, I was recently confused at an explosion of outrage on my feed over something called "sock puppetry."

I couldn't imagine why the long-departed Shari Lewis would suddenly spark such anger, and of course Lamb Chop wouldn't hurt a fly.

What we were outraged over was the news that British crime writer R.J. Ellroy had been exposed as writing positive anonymous customer reviews about himself, as well as negative reviews about the books of rival crime writers whom he apparently saw as competitors.

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This practice, I learned, is called "sock puppetry," a fitting name given that the illusion of who is behind the talking laundry is so easy to figure out. Ellroy was de-socked by Jeremy Duns, another British novelist, who identified Ellroy as the man behind fake reviewer names like "Nicodemus Jones" and "Jelly Bean."

"Nicodemus Jones" thought that Ellroy's "A Quiet Belief in Angels" was a "masterpiece" that "stopped him in his tracks." Ellroy messed up, though, when he stayed signed in to a Nicodemus Jones user account and began speaking and signing off as Roger.

Once caught, Ellroy apologized, sort of, expressing regrets for his "lapse in judgment."

By itself, the news that an author pumped his own tires wouldn't mean much except a week or so before this, The New York Times reported on Todd Rutherford, a man who had started the now defunct GettingBookReviews.com. Initially offering reviews of books for $99, the demand from authors was such that he soon had a 20-pack for $499 and then a 50-pack for $999. According to the article, "Before he knew it, he was taking in $28,000 a month." (Emphasis mine, because, well, it's $28,000 a month!)

It's hard to know what made me sadder, that some hopeful authors are reportedly paying as much as $20,000 for these dubious review services or that being a writer of fake reviews is considerably more lucrative than being a writer.

I'll admit to a kind of willful naïveté over issues of commerce when it comes to books and reading and writing. While all writers love to get paid for their work, very few, in my experience, do it for the money. J.K. Rowling didn't write "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone" thinking about that castle she'd own someday. She wrote it because the story was trapped in her head and needed to get out.

The possible economic payoff to purchasing reviews, particularly tens of thousands of dollars' worth, is vanishingly small — so small, that it's pretty clear that writers who purchase reviews are not looking for money, but attention, even if it's fake or from themselves.

I sympathize. If you publish a book and no one is around to write a review of it on Amazon, did it make a sound?

I should note that these upstart review services are not the only ones preying on those craving attention. The venerable Kirkus Reviews (who, full disclosure, roughed up my book pretty good) charges self-published authors $425 for a single review. ($575 if you want it expedited.) They promise a review that is a "fair and unbiased assessment of your work and its potential in the marketplace." If you don't like it, you have the option of keeping it secret between you and Kirkus.

No comment, even though I really want to.

There's talk of creating a code of ethics for writers where they will pledge not to engage in sock puppetry or purchasing reviews. But there's an easier, reader-based solution to this problem. Accept book recommendations only from friends and columnists in your weekly book supplement.

Biblioracle John Warner is also the author of "Funny Man." Follow him on Twitter @Biblioracle.

The Biblioracle offers his recommendations

1. "The Crossing Places" by Elly Griffiths

2. "The Cruelest Month" by Louise Penny

3. "Sharp Objects" by Gillian Flynn

4. "The Invisible Bridge" by Julie Orringer

5. "Carry the One" by Carol Anshaw

— Charlene M., La Grange

"Arcadia" by Lauren Groff is the right combination of story intrigue and well-wrought prose for Charlene.

1. "Pathfinder" by Orson Scott Card

2. "Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy" by John le Carré

3. "The Prisoner of Heaven" by Carlos Ruiz Zafón

4. "Blackout" by Mira Grant

5. "The Snake, the Crocodile & the Dog" by Elizabeth Peters

— Brenna B., Carol Stream

"The Windup Girl" by Paolo Bacigalupi is, at times, a demanding read, but Brenna's list makes me believe that in it, she'll find some rewards.

1. "Atonement" by Ian McEwan

2. "A Home at the End of the World" by Michael Cunningham

3. "My Dark Places" by James Ellroy

4. "Shadow Show: All New Stories in Celebration of Ray Bradbury" by Sam Weller and Mort Castle

5. "Haunted: Tales of the Grotesque" by Joyce Carol Oates

— Mikaela J., Chicago

I keep a file of all the books that I have recommended for Printers Row Journal as The Biblioracle and couldn't believe that we've now crossed No. 70 without me recommending this book. It is the most powerful, heartbreaking and wise novel I've ever read: "Giovanni's Room" by James Baldwin.

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